Marking device



May 24, 1955 L osRow 2,708,902

MARKING DEVICE Filed May 24, 1952 FIG-1.

l6 l4 ADOLPH L.OSROW INVENTOR. L mu" /IIHI]W/I m United States Patent 0 MARKING DEVICE Adolph L. Osrow, Jamaica, N. Y.

Application May 24, 1952, Serial No. 289,925

1 Claim. (Cl. 120-13) This invention relates to tailors chalk and a holder therefor.

In the marking of fabric and similar articles preparatory to cutting the material to be sewn into clothing and similar items, the pattern is usually drawn on the face of the material by means of a special chalk adapted for that purpose. Such chalk may be of a wax or similar suitable composition. It has heretofore been customary to form such chalk into a substantially rectangular wafer having a thickened or widened portion in the middle region and tapering to a point at its side edges, when viewed from the end or in transverse section. Such chalk thus presents the appearance of an oblong wafer when viewed in plan and is substantially oval in shape when viewed fromthe end.

The tailors chalk which is in general use at present is of the type indicated and has a number of disadvantages. Such chalk presents an increasingly wider marking edge as it is used and therefore necessitates constant sharpening to reduce the width of the marking edge in order to mark out suitable thin lined cutting patterns. The constant sharpening of the chalk is time consuming and often soils the hands making constant washing of the hands essential. This is particularly undesirable when black chalk is used to mark out a pattern on a white or light colored material. Additionally, since the chalk is held in the hand this contact alone may cause the hands to be soiled sufliciently to result in stained material upon contact therewith. The constant sharpening of the chalk which is now required is not only time consuming and wasteful but often results in accidental cutting of the fingers. The sharpening waste material falling upon floors causes a slippery and dangerous condition.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a tailors chalk which may be readily, efficiently and economically manufactured.

A further object of this invention is to provide a tailors chalk of uniform thickness throughout its width which is capable of drawing a desirable thin line without any sharpening during use.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tailors chalk of the character indicated in combination with a suitable holder which is adapted to hold said chalk and prevents the softening thereof while held in the hand during use.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a tailors chalk of the character indicated with a holder which prevents the fracture of the chalk and which may be comfortably held in the hand during use without altering the feel of the chalk in the hand of the user.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a tailors chalk of the character indicated and a suitable holder therefor, wherein the individual piece or wafer of chalk may be readily advanced as the marking edge thereof wears away during use and wherein the chalk piece may be utilized to its full extent with comfort and convenience.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a tailors chalk with a suitable holder or envelope which 2,708,902 Patented May 24, 1955 is adapted to feed the chalk elements in succession as such pieces are used up during the marking operation.

Other and further objects of the invention will be indicated or will otherwise become apparent from the drawings, specifications and claims appended hereto or will otherwise be made obvious.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a plan view of the chalk and holder therefor comprising the present invention,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross-section of Figure 1 taken along line 2-2 thereof.

Figure 3 is a transverse cross-section of Figure 1 taken along line 33 thereof,

Figure 4 is a plan view of the chalk and holder therefor comprising the present invention showing a succeeding piece of chalk in position within the holder, and

Figure 5 is a transverse cross-section of Figure 4 taken along line 5-5 thereof.

As may be more clearly seen from Figure 1, the tailors chalk 10 of the present invention is comprised of an oblong or rectangular wafer of marking material. The material from which the chalk is formed and the composition thereof may be conventional as presently formulated and known to persons skilled in the art. The chalk wafer is dimensioned so that it is comparatively thin; its thickness being just suiiicient to permit it to mark a line of the desired narrow width and for this purpose the chalk may be said to be pencil thin as may be more clearly seen from Figure 2. An additional feature of the chalk wafer is that it is of uniform thickness throughout as may be more additionally seen from Figure 3. Thus no matter how far the chalk has been worn down during use, it nevertheless retains its pencil thin characteristics. The operative or marking edge 11 of chalk 10 is therefore available for use without sharpening, no matter how much of the piece has been worn away in use.

As shown in said Figures 1, 2 and 3, chalk 10 is advantageously received in holder or carrier 12 in order to adapt it for use. Holder 12 is comprised of a rectangular envelope formed of side walls 13 and 14 respectively. Walls 13 and 14 are parallel with each other and connected to each other at their end edges 20 to form a flat enclosure or envelope. The space or channel 15 between walls 13 and 14 is of substantially the same width as the external dimensions of the chalk and is advantageously adapted to receive and frictionally retain the chalk between said walls.

Side wall 14 of the holder is provided with an aperture or opening 16. Said opening exposes a portion of the body of the chalk within the holder and is of sufiicient size to permit the thumb of the person using the device to bear against such exposed surface of the chalk. The entire holder may be formed of any suitable material such as metal or plastic, it having been found advantageous to utilize a material which has a small amount of flexure or give. As shown in Figure 1, the holder is loaded by merely inserting a piece of chalk of the character herein disclosed through either end of channel 15. One edge of the chalk is protruded as shown at 17 and the device is then ready for use. The thumb of the user is placed in aperture 16 and the entire assembly is held in the hand in the same manner as a conventional piece of tailors chalk. In this connection it should be noted that the dimensions of the entire device including the holder are generally similar to conventional tailors chalk without a holder. This factor is significant in that it requires no period of adaptation by the person who is accustomed to use the conventional type chalk.

The pressure of the thumb in aperture against the chalk serves to hold the chalk firmly within the holder as it is being used to mark cloth or other materials. As the chalk is used up additional portions of it are readily protruded by pressing the chalk forward by means of the thumb in aperture 16, without any interruption in the Work. The chalk is supported by the Walls of the holder, fracture thereof is thus prevented in spite of its thin cross-section, it should also be noted that only a small portion of the chalk need be extended from the holder during use, thus efiectively reducing the possibility of breakage or fracture of the exposed portion. The arrangement also prevents the softening and buckling of the chalk which would otherwise occur from the hand temperature of the user in grasping a chalk piece of this character and of the usual composition in the hand. The use of a holder of this character also serves to prevent the hand from being soiled by reducing the area of contact with the chalk itself. This factor is particularly important when White cloth is being marked with black chalk and is readily stained by contact with such soiled lands. The thumb pressure of the user causes the chalk to bear against the opposite Wall of the envelope and thus prevents fracture and displacement.

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate the manncr in which the device operates to permit the most economical utilization of a chalk piece. Thus, as shown in said figures, chalk piece 18 has been reduced to a fraction of its original size in use. mally be discarded when it has reached this size since it can no longer be grasped and manipulated with comfort. When the chalk of the present invention has been so reduced it is merely necessary to insert an additional piece of chalk 19 through the other end of the channel. The additional piece serves as a follower and supports the chalk after a point has been reached when it can no longer be supported by thumb pressure. In this manner each piece of chalk may be utilized to its full extent without discomfort or inconvenience. The arrangement also permits the holder to be continually fed so that there is no interruption at an inconvenient time during use.

Ihave here shown and described a preferred embodi- A conventional piece of chalk would nclr- 4: ment of my invention. It will be apparent, however, that this invention is not limited to this embodiment and that many changes, additions and modifications can be made in connection therewith without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as herein disclosed and hereinafter claimed.

1 claim:

A holder for thin, wafer-like, frangible marking elements such as tailors chalk, said holder comprising a flat envelope of generally rectangular outline having an open unobstructed channel extending therethrough from one side edge to the opposite side edge closed upon its opposite sides by a pair of closely-spaced, relatively thin parallel Walls presenting opposed, smooth, inner surfaces throughout the length of the channel and spaced apart a short distance adapted to snugly receive a marking element therebctween, and an opening through one of said side walls overlying a closed, imperforate portion of the opposite side wall and being of a size adapted to receive the thumb of the user therein for pressing the marking element flatly against said closed wall portion without imparting bending stresses to the marking element, an edge of the opening being located comparatively closely adjacent the side edge of the envelope to permit feeding the marking element along the channel by thumb pressure for approximately the full extent of the marking clement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,129,681 Huyett Feb. 23, 1915 1,142,458 Pritchard June 8, 1915 l,405,791 lvlcCandless Feb. 7, 1922 ,451,933 Weig Apr. 17, 1923 2,190,507 Zuckcrt Feb. 13, 1940 2,374,502 Rose Apr. 24, 1945 2,505,267 Weber Apr. 25, 1950 2,555,063 Soitfer May 29, 1951 

